


Forged By Stars

by Stumblings



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Drug Addiction, F/F, F/M, Femslash, M/M, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-05-08
Packaged: 2018-10-29 11:10:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10852758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stumblings/pseuds/Stumblings
Summary: Andromeda was a new beginning, golden worlds, fresh starts, a perfect place to change. Sara Ryder hits rock bottom after her father's , Alec Ryder, death. She was a drop-out, space bum with an addiction problem, she couldn't be Pathfinder, that was Alec's job. Coupled with self-doubt and uncertainty from the Nexus leaders, Sara has to raise to the challenge of becoming a leader--but long the way, she can't help but notice the enticing Vetra Nyx.





	Forged By Stars

Her callused hands trembled as she lit one her last cigarettes. Her fingers tingled. Heart raced. Her vision disfigured as if looking through a fish-eye. Her high-cheekbones sunken, lips quivered fiercely. Still trembling, she stumbled to the shower and slid down the cold wall before she’d finally collapsed. Clammy sweat stung her eyes, ear pounded, an eerie coldness settled in her limbs. 

She had to get away. From the bright blinding lights, sterile gleaming consoles, beeping machines, and the sharp stinging scent of alcohol. She couldn’t stay in that damn medical wing. She had to leave. Run. Hide. disappear. 

She clumsily tried to wipe the sweat from her forehead with her dirty stain under armor. Blood pounded in her ears, chest tighten, squeezed, stomach wrenched uncomfortably. She had to get out. She couldn't listen any longer. Run. Hide. 

‘Fuck, fuck-fuck!’ He was gone. It was so quick. Breathing grew hard. Really hard. No, she tangled her fingers tightly in her curly hair, pulling harshly. She biting down on her cigarette , grinding it between her teeth. They need him-he was their Pathfinder. Not her, not some space bum, drop out, drug-addicted discharge. 

Dark rings encircled her eyes staring at the dull tiled wall with bewilderment and fear, usually bright crystal color terrifyingly dim. She felt like she’d just run a marathon. Breath, breath, breath -breath. This was supposed to be a new start. Clean, happy, new. 

Her ginger hair, laden with sweat and grim, clung to her sculpted-face. Her quivering mottled lips made it nearly impossible to keep the broken cigarette in proper place. She had to try. She needed a lite. She needed, needed-needed. Something. Her thumb slipped over silver flint wheel- again. Again, again, again, again. 

Again...again...again.  
Her pulse raced, again...again- again  
Her face flushed hotly, again-again-again. 

Her body seized, searing anger shot through her, something tightened...pulled-  
Snap! 

Frustration crashed through her fragile control. Screeching, she pelted the silver lighter across the room, watching it crack. She screamed as salty tears broke free from her still burning her eyes, running down her cheeks, dripping off her chapped lips. Sara, bent forward from curled position on the bath floor pressing her shaking palms to the chilled floor. Watching, her tears disappear in the metallic drain. Her body convulsed as she began to cry, her stomach lurched making her wish she’d vomit. She dug her nails , futilely, into the hard tile, cigarette rolling away from her. Forgotten. 

She fell to her side with a sickly loud thud, curling in on herself, digging her nails into the meat of her tight. She cried harder, her chest growing tight as bile rose in her throat. No, no, she couldn’t… 

She need something, anything -anything. Arm shaking, she reached inside her dirty pocket. There. It was there. Still there. Always there. Enough-just enough. 

Shivering, she brought the plastic baggie to her freckled nose. Her left index pushed one nostril closed- just enough. 

Inhaling, she could feel the burn of sand racing through her nose. One more time, just another. She inhale a final time. Her tears burned running around flushed and irritated nostrils. 

The world blurred, the lights swirled rainbow colors, she felt her muscles lax. No, not her, it couldn’t…

The taste. The smell. Everything was just gone. She paused trying to hold back the strange feelings rumbling inside her. A lone tear traced down her gaunt cheek, her chin trembled as if she were small child.

Waiting for Aunt Kess to find her on the floor. To rock her, Old Kess smelled of alluring lavender and gunpowder. Comfort. Home. Always rocking Sara, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Like an ocean, always peaceful, like white-capped waves crashing upon soft golden sands. Back and forth ...back and forth. 

 

She breathed heavier than she ever had before. Gasping for air that simply wasn’t there. Her throat burned forming a silent scream. Is this what crying felt like? Was she dying yet, relief…

The candied colored lights grew brighter, brighter, and brighter. Her eyes grew heavy, her limbs felt light, voices gone. Bliss, pure heavenly bliss. 

Something whispered, light, incessant. Pulling. Pulling her back..back from the ocean. 

Sa- Sar- Path...what was it.? Her heavy eyes roamed the room briefly to tired to finish her search. Too bright. Her eyes started to close, finally peace. She heard it again, louder, more demanding, unbroken. 

Sara, KI...her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Something warm pressed against her, she felt her body lax, weight completely gone. She sluggishly opened her eyes, giggling with euphoria. She was flying. Warm, enveloped by golden sands. Rocking, in the white capped waves. Rocking, warm, flying. A voice, it was a voice. Kess? Aunty Kess? The was voice, loud, becoming more apparent. Pulling-pulling, pulling-back. 

“Don’t worry, kid. I’ll getcha through this shit.” Her eyes widened at the booming sound. It was disruptive, shocking, causing her heart to jump with shock. Gracelessly, she attempted to reach for the shadowed figure blocking the bright lights ,but she remained placid. Unresponsive. 

Kess? No, not her. Not, Kess. Dad? Her eye-lids fluttered fighting against her consciousness ebbing away. No, Dad. You’re gone... her lips moved silently. She tried to scream for him, but nothing. Her vision dimmed , eyes grew heavy, the world blurred. She slipped from incoherence, inconsistent thoughts ..Dad, sorry I fucked up again. I can’t….Warm darkness enveloped her consciousness. 

“Lexi, I headin’ to the med bay” A surly voice rumbled. “Keep it ,on the low.” He placed his weather beaten-leathery hand on the human’s forehead. He’s golden reptilian eye, watched her features, pale-swallowed skin, flushed broken nose, tear stained cheeks, drool pooling from her cracked lips. “ You ain’t broke yet, we’ll getcha through this shit, kid.” She was so small, hapless, cradled to his massive form. “ A krogan keeps his promise.” He grunted, entering the medical bay.

**Author's Note:**

> Sara Ryder will have a happier story from here on out, promise.


End file.
